Over the past three years we have undertaken three projects with Warren Sanders totalling around $750K. The first, the rebuilding of a large carport/workshop/store after a fire, gave us the confidence to engage Warren to build the extension to the main house adding new living spaces (internal and external) and large bathroom.
The build involved co-ordinating many trades which went smoothly, on time and budget. The final project was the reasonably complex rebuilding of a chimney and new enclosed fireplace with a new 8m high masonry chimney. Each was carried out very professionally with care about the final product. There was good communication and co-operation during the tender and building process and all came in close to the original budgeted price.
As an architect I have experienced many builds and worked with many builders and Warren is amongst the best I’ve worked with over those forty years.
Warren came highly recommended by an Architect friend so, from the outset, our expectations were very high. Yet he has exceeded those expectations in every way.
Our Architect has designed a home of deceptively simple lines which belie its precisely planned spaces and cutting edge design features. Achieving that apparent simplicity needed a builder who is not only willing to try new and different things but can also think ahead and anticipate issues which could otherwise compromise the end result. Warren’s attention to detail and ability to think through complex details has delivered a virtually trouble free build with minimal compromise to the Architect’s vision.
Throughout the build, Warren has communicated to us and to our Architect everything we needed to know well ahead of critical decision points. His comprehensive financial reports, along with his frank and open discussion of cost implications of various design options gave me confidence throughout the build that there were no financial surprises ahead.
In short, to create our beautiful home required innovation and precise communication with the Architect on the one hand and all the trades involved on the other. The end result speaks for itself.
We moved to the South Coast in 2014 with the intent of either renovating or rebuilding the house we had purchased at the time. We spent several years loving on the site, which was beneficial as we learnt about the climate and what we did not like (cold winds in winter) and what we did (the very special location, the quiet, the birdlife and the views to the water, mountains and the bush).
We developed a brief (it ran to 8 pages, so brief it was not!) and plan with Dick Clarke from Envirotecture that addressed the good and the bad and also our desire to have a home for the long term that was accessible, passive solar, powered by PVs and battery storage, with hydronic under-floor heating and built with sustainable materials where practical. The house also had to be low maintenance and able to handle strong winds and salt air.
When we went looking for a builder we wanted someone who was young and enthusiastic and who employed a local crew and used local subbies where possible. Warren Sanders Building was recommended to us by a neighbour in the next street and we were able to review his workmanship at close quarters.
We are both detail-minded people so we wanted a builder who we would be comfortable working with, someone who was happy to work with Dick Clarke, who was open to new ideas and materials and who had an eye for detail and did quality work.
The build started in February 2017 and was due to run for 9 months. However a number of factors disrupted the schedule, none of which were the fault of the builder. It took us longer to get out of the ground due to floating boulders on the property and almost 60 working days were lost due to bad weather.
We rented a property two streets away for the duration of the build so were mostly able to visit the site on a regular basis to view progress and to answer questions as they arose from Warren. If we were away and he needed to consult us this was done via email and text and so there were very few other occasions when the build was held up. Warren also had long distance conversations with Dick Clarke who was located in Sydney.
What was particularly noticeable when on site was Warren’s approach to the management of his crew and the other subcontractors. There was no yelling or loud voices, rather a respectful conversation or direction, or suggestion. There were a few glitches as there will be, but these were ironed out fairly quickly and to our satisfaction.
Warren communicated well, his emails and texts detailed, clear and timely. We thoroughly enjoyed the build process and getting to know his crew, and subcontractors, particularly those who live in the same village.
When we took ownership of our new home in May 2018 we were pleased to find that the extensive input from our building designer, Dick and the workmanship and attention to detail of Warren, his crew and all his subcontractors had come together in a home that is wonderful to live in, warm in winter, with protection from the westerlies, cool in summer with the nor’easterlies doing their thing in the place of air conditioning and views of the water, mountains and bush that never cease to delight.
Well done Warren Sanders Building!